LPS INDUCED PROCOAGULANT ACTIVITY AND PLASMINOGEN-ACTIVATOR ACTIVITY IN MONONUCLEAR-CELLS FROM PERSONS WITH HIGH OR LOW-LEVELS OF HDL LIPOPROTEIN

We have examined spontaneous and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced proc oagulant activity (PCA) and plasminogen activator activity (PA) in per ipheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from ten persons with high, and ten persons with low levels of serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL). PBMC were incubated +/-100 ng LPS/ml up to 160 h. Additionally, we hav e measured the release of urokinase (uPA), tissue plasminogen activato r (tPA), plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) and plasminogen act ivator inhibitor 2 (PAI-2) into the cell culture media. Spontaneous PA was significantly higher in PBMC from persons with low HDL, combined with lower release of uPA to the media and higher uPA-receptor (uPA-R) bound uPA on PBMC. Upon stimulation with LPS, PCA and released PAI 2 increased sharply, while PA and released uPA declined. These changes w ere not significantly different between the two groups, tPA and PAI-1 were not detected in cell lysates or in cell culture media. Conclusion s: 1) LPS sharply stimulated PBMC PCA (similar in both groups). 2) PBM C from persons with low HDL showed higher spontaneous PA, due to highe r uPA-R bound uPA, probably of importance in cell migration during the early events of atherosclerosis.